INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACY PRACTICE
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES
the practice of pharmacy can be traced from the ancient medicine practices and has evolved
over time to the current pharmacy practices. The role of a pharmacist has thus changed over
time from such ancient practices as majorly extemporaneous preparations to meeting the
current practice needs such as drug error monitoring, poly-pharmacy management and
consultancy pharmacy.
The following are traditional medicine practices from which pharmacy practice can be traced:
SUMERIANS
•The development of cuneiform writing on clay tablets during the third millennium BC included
lists of drugs of animal, vegetable and mineral origin that were used in the management of
diseases, and prescriptions with details of the ingredients used in their compounding.
• Many of the drugs listed were cited as having multiple uses since ailments were thought to be
different manifestations of a condition.
• Use of medicines was carried out by priests (ashipu) and physicians (asu).
EGYPTIANS
• The Ebers Papyrus (named after Georg Ebers, who purchased it in the nineteenth century) is a
document dating back to 1550 BC, which describes prescriptions and modes of administration
of drugs including gargles, inhalations, suppositories, ointments and lotions. Many of the drugs
listed were included in the Sumerian documents.
• Use of medicines was carried out by priests. Imhotep who is regarded as the earliest
physician, was the High Priest of Heliopolis.
India
• Ayurvedic medicine was first described around 800 BC. Documents list the use of drugs together with
charms for expelling demons and make reference to the god of medicine, Dhanvantari.
• The Charaka Samhita includes reference to drugs of animal, plant and mineral origin used until the first
century AD.
China
• In China, a comprehensive theory for diagnosis and treatment was developed.
• Manuscripts on silk and bamboo describe use of drugs of animal and plant origin.
• The text Huangdi Neijing listed the basic principles of pharmaceutical drug use in the third
century BC.
, • Shengnon Bencao Jing outlined basic theory of Chinese pharmacy.
• The Pen Ts’ao Kang Mu compilation presents details of drugs used in Chinese medicine in the
late sixteenth century AD.
Greeks and Romans
• Just as the Egyptians revered Imhotep as the god–physician, the Greeks worshipped Asklepios as their
god of healing.
• Later on, the use of medicines was carried out by the rhizotomoi (experts in medicinal plants), such as
Empedocles, and the pharmakopoloi (preparers and sellers of drugs).
Hippocrates
Considered to be the father of medicine.
• He is associated with a number of documents known collectively as the Hippocratic Corpus dating to
420–370 BC, which list 200–400 drugs of vegetable origin and describe the method of preparation of
gargles, ointment and pessaries.
• His works placed emphasis on treating the patient with minimal reference to magical and religious
powers.
Dioscorides
• Prepared the document De Materia Medica around AD 60–78. This document gives details
about medicinal herbs including side-effects associated with their administration.
Galen
• A physician around AD 160.
• He compiled medical knowledge of the time drawing on the documents by Hippocrates and
Dioscorides.
• He described the use of formulations made up of numerous plants which were referred to as
‘galenicals’.
The Arabs
• In the Arab world, a large number of texts including documents related to medicine and
works by Galen were translated into Arabic and that is how these documents have been
transferred along history. Documents that were prepared included formularies, herbals and
books on materia medica and toxicology.
• The use of medications consisting of complex formulations (galenic medicine) was continued.
• This required skilled preparation which was entrusted to apothecaries who opened their
shops in the ninth century in Baghdad. The practice of the apothecaries was inspected by the
state.
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES
the practice of pharmacy can be traced from the ancient medicine practices and has evolved
over time to the current pharmacy practices. The role of a pharmacist has thus changed over
time from such ancient practices as majorly extemporaneous preparations to meeting the
current practice needs such as drug error monitoring, poly-pharmacy management and
consultancy pharmacy.
The following are traditional medicine practices from which pharmacy practice can be traced:
SUMERIANS
•The development of cuneiform writing on clay tablets during the third millennium BC included
lists of drugs of animal, vegetable and mineral origin that were used in the management of
diseases, and prescriptions with details of the ingredients used in their compounding.
• Many of the drugs listed were cited as having multiple uses since ailments were thought to be
different manifestations of a condition.
• Use of medicines was carried out by priests (ashipu) and physicians (asu).
EGYPTIANS
• The Ebers Papyrus (named after Georg Ebers, who purchased it in the nineteenth century) is a
document dating back to 1550 BC, which describes prescriptions and modes of administration
of drugs including gargles, inhalations, suppositories, ointments and lotions. Many of the drugs
listed were included in the Sumerian documents.
• Use of medicines was carried out by priests. Imhotep who is regarded as the earliest
physician, was the High Priest of Heliopolis.
India
• Ayurvedic medicine was first described around 800 BC. Documents list the use of drugs together with
charms for expelling demons and make reference to the god of medicine, Dhanvantari.
• The Charaka Samhita includes reference to drugs of animal, plant and mineral origin used until the first
century AD.
China
• In China, a comprehensive theory for diagnosis and treatment was developed.
• Manuscripts on silk and bamboo describe use of drugs of animal and plant origin.
• The text Huangdi Neijing listed the basic principles of pharmaceutical drug use in the third
century BC.
, • Shengnon Bencao Jing outlined basic theory of Chinese pharmacy.
• The Pen Ts’ao Kang Mu compilation presents details of drugs used in Chinese medicine in the
late sixteenth century AD.
Greeks and Romans
• Just as the Egyptians revered Imhotep as the god–physician, the Greeks worshipped Asklepios as their
god of healing.
• Later on, the use of medicines was carried out by the rhizotomoi (experts in medicinal plants), such as
Empedocles, and the pharmakopoloi (preparers and sellers of drugs).
Hippocrates
Considered to be the father of medicine.
• He is associated with a number of documents known collectively as the Hippocratic Corpus dating to
420–370 BC, which list 200–400 drugs of vegetable origin and describe the method of preparation of
gargles, ointment and pessaries.
• His works placed emphasis on treating the patient with minimal reference to magical and religious
powers.
Dioscorides
• Prepared the document De Materia Medica around AD 60–78. This document gives details
about medicinal herbs including side-effects associated with their administration.
Galen
• A physician around AD 160.
• He compiled medical knowledge of the time drawing on the documents by Hippocrates and
Dioscorides.
• He described the use of formulations made up of numerous plants which were referred to as
‘galenicals’.
The Arabs
• In the Arab world, a large number of texts including documents related to medicine and
works by Galen were translated into Arabic and that is how these documents have been
transferred along history. Documents that were prepared included formularies, herbals and
books on materia medica and toxicology.
• The use of medications consisting of complex formulations (galenic medicine) was continued.
• This required skilled preparation which was entrusted to apothecaries who opened their
shops in the ninth century in Baghdad. The practice of the apothecaries was inspected by the
state.
